Eisai has added another strand to its budding podcast network, bankrolling the “Rethinking Alzheimer's Disease” miniseries to spread information about the prevention and diagnosis of the condition.
Japan’s Eisai is one of the companies behind Leqembi, the anti-amyloid-beta antibody that won full FDA approval in July after the company found the molecule slowed the cognitive and functional decline of patients with early-stage Alzheimer's. Uptake of the drug was behind schedule as of February, in part because of kinks in the diagnosis and the treatment pathways.
The podcast series is largely focused on the steps between a patient developing symptoms and getting diagnosed. Across the first five episodes, Mission Based Media, which created the series with support from Eisai, talks to experts about Alzheimer’s risk factors, how to recognize symptoms, the diagnostic process and the role of carers.
The sixth and final episode covers the future of Alzheimer’s diagnosis and therapy, touching on potential improvements to the detection of the disease that are coming down the pipe and new drug candidates.
No products are named but thoughts may turn to Eisai and Biogen’s Leqembi when the podcast’s host says “research has taken big strides” and “some recent clinical studies have shown promising results.” Later, the host adds that “research often moves faster than medicine, so it's important to talk to your doctor about how you can access some of these newer care options by joining a clinical trial.”
While the series is unbranded, Eisai could still benefit if it helps unblock the diagnostic and treatment pathway. The series emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis, noting that a disease-modifying drug is now available, and discusses tools that could enable more timely detection of Alzheimer’s.
The series joins a band of podcasts that Eisai has supported. In Europe, the drugmaker is behind the “My BroadCast Companion” metastatic breast cancer podcast and the ECtalk endometrial cancer series. Eisai also “conceptualized and funded” the Australian series “I’ve Got This! Owning my Epilepsy.”